FICATHON: A Cobra Strikes (HermioneBlaise)
by Silver Orbed Lioness
Summary: Being a member of the Slug Club means that there is a perpetual need to date - the Christmas Soiree is fast approaching and Hermione is running out of options until, unexpectedly, the most mysterious Slytherin of all, barring Snape, asks her out... (Written for LJ Community rare pairshorts Number Fest).


**FICATHON: A Cobra Strikes (Hermione/Blaise)**

 **Title: A Cobra Strikes**

 **Pairing: Hermione/Blaise Zabini**

 **Rating: T**

 **Word Count: 2493**

 **Summary: The problem with the Slug Club is that, you are constantly meant to be dating. Hermione despises McClaggan with all her heart, Ron seems to think Lavender's tongue is more interesting than anything else, Harry won't fess up to his feelings for Ginny so has been asking Luna as his plus one as she and Harry have become friends – that leaves Hermione only two suitable choices, Neville (sweet and kind but more a little brother than anything else) or Blaise Zabini – the mystical, enigmatical dark Italian Wizard that somehow sends her knees quivering and not necessarily in fear …**

 **Author's Notes: UST, AU**

* * *

 **A COBRA STRIKES**

The horrible thing about the Slug Club, Hermione found, was the perpetual need to date. The man seemed to care more for romantic attachments between his elder students, and what the younger students could bring to him in the near future. She never thought she'd say this, but she missed Professor Snape in the dungeons, at least _he_ took the subject seriously. He, however, was living the dream as a DADA professor and damn her for not wanting to deprive the man of _that_. Also damn her for thinking he was the best man for the job.

The Christmas Party was approaching, and she was still being harassed by Cormac McClaggan to go with him, she was running out of excuses to say no. She could've asked Neville, but he was too sweet to use like that. She knew the fellow Gryffindor had a soft spot for her and she didn't want to lead him on. So, she sighed as she snarled her fingers in her hair once again. Why did she still try to run them through her crazy hair she did not know!

"Hey!" a smooth confident voice filtered through her thoughts.

"Hello," she said with a smile. "How can I…Zabini?" the identity of her unexpected companion startled her. "Um," she gulped. Truthfully, few girls could resist him. Ginny could, Hermione knew that because he'd tried to ask her pretty friend out before, but Ginny could always come back with a witty response as to why she _had_ to refuse his advances. "What…what do you want?"

Zabini's eyes flashed with something that at once made Hermione wary yet excited. He was the quietest Slytherin in their year, he always somehow became as one with the shadows. Every time she saw him Hermione couldn't help but hum T-REX'S 20TH CENTURY Boy in her mind. Always blushing when the lyric: "I wanna be your toy!" turned up.

"Hermione, isn't it?" he asked with a confident arch of the right eyebrow like he was mimicking his Head of House.

Drool collected and pooled inside her mouth the more she drowned into the darkest blue eyes she had seen; growing darker the longer her gaze lingered, she gulped down her saliva and nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He placed his hand on the wall by her head and leaned into her space – not that she cared because she was lead role in almost half of Hogwarts population's greatest fantasy. A curl flopped in front of her brow, he tilted his head to the side with a smirk as he gathered it tenderly through his long fingers in a languorous stroke, then he tucked it behind her ear. Hermione felt her knees buckle beneath her. This must be a dream, it _had_ to be a dream.

"So-sorry, what was it you wanted Zabini?"

"Forgive me for getting distracted by your cinnamon gaze, Hermione, but I require a date for the Christmas Slug Party – I notice you are forcibly rejecting the clout McClaggan. I've also observed that you and Weasley seem to be on the outs," the unspoken ' _Again_ ,' hovered on his beautifully shaped lips she just wanted to nibble on. "You need to go with _someone_ , and as Potter has shown his usual dumb self by ignoring you I endeavoured not to make the same mistake. Hermione, would you please be my date for The Christmas Slug Party?"

Hermione's mouth hung wide open, she almost did not care how unattractive it might've looked, she was downright flabbergasted that the hottest boy in Hogwarts had asked _her_ , the bookworm, out on a date. She continued glaring at him dumbstruck. Every question she had an answer prepared in her mind except this one! She had near _fainted_ when Krum had asked her out. Sweat damped her palms and her books slipped out of her usually tight grip because Blaise Zabini had asked _her_ out on a date!

"Um…"

"Fine, I understand," he shrugged and mournfully sighed. "I get it if you don't wish to. After all, why would I – a Slytherin – wish to ask a Gryffindor out? If you say no I comprehend."

He had removed his hand from the wall and leaned back away from her. He put on his most soulful expression possible and hands in his robes pockets. His feet shuffled on the floor, one coyly hiding behind the other, his dark fringe flopped over his topaz blue eyes, his bottom lip pouted out slightly. She gulped again, wondering if this was; indeed, a prank. Why else would he ask her out? She had watched American Teen Rom Coms where the geeky girl or guy were asked out by the Adonis of their school because their friends dared them too. She would not put it past Parkinson or even Marietta Edgecomb, to pull that on her.

"I…I'm a little confused," she ventured in a soft, sweet voice.

"I may have Italian extraction, but I can still speak plain English. Do you wish me to be candid, Hermione?"

"Yes, please."

"It is true I found you of little interest before, desiring instead to be a companion to Miss Weasley, but I've found myself fascinated by you, Hermione. You have become as Athena in my mind."

"Ha-have I?"

"Yes," he sighed gazing up at her through his jet-black lashes and floppy locks, offering her a winsome smile, "you have."

"All right on one condition," she said suddenly gaining confidence.

"Name it," he winked, whatever it was wouldn't be that bad. He could deal with any cards she'd handed to him.

"You ask me again at breakfast in the Great Hall."

That startled him, and she was gratified to see him almost gauchely drop his jaw wide in front of her. Recollecting himself, he coughed, straightened his front robes, arranged his silver panther rings on his fingers and stood his full height. His dark blue eyes were like oceans captured in glass for the siren to peer through voyeuristically at her prey.

"Yes, Athena, I shall do so."

With that he elegantly turned on his heel and left her alone to walk back to Gryffindor Tower in a bewildered fog. She was so confused that night she didn't do any of her homework and just went straight to bed and sleep. Crookshanks deigned to open his eyes a little in greeting, but she absent -mindedly patted him on the head as she blew out her lamp.

It was Lavender that woke her up by roughly yanking the sheets off her bed. "Come on, Hermione, you have to get up. Ten minutes till breakfast starts."

"Ugh," was the other witch's reply as she flung an arm over her face to shield her eyes from the low autumn sun that invaded her space. "nee' mo leep," her speech muffled by pillow and morning frizz.

"Come on, Hermione," Parvati sighed smirking at Lavender. "Otherwise it's an aqua charm…"

"All righ' m' up!" Hermione exclaimed.

Ten minutes later Hermione had showered, dried her hair with a charm and was pristinely dressed with robes just so. Harry was eating opposite Ron – the only space In their section of the table was next to Luna, who'd taken to hanging out with them more since the Department of Mysteries. Not that Hermione minded. Luna was brilliant at being able to diffuse situations that flared up easily amongst the Gryffindors.

Before Hermione had a chance to make it to the table the whole school had become unnervingly silent. Not a chink of fork against knife could be heard. Hermione wondered what was going on until she felt a hand grab hers. The person had expertly spun her around to face him so smoothly that she thought she was dancing on a cloud. All blood had drained from her face when she saw who it was that had held her so tenderly.

Last night's odd encounter came back to her in full force. She did not expect him to take her seriously. Hell, she was _sure_ she had meant it in the same jest she spoke the frankly idiotic stipulation in, yet there he was, kneeling in front of her! A twitchy smirk adorned his countenance as his eyes twinkled playfully.

"Miss Hermione Granger do you take me, Blaise Zabini, to be your date to the Slug Club Christmas Party?"

The clatter of cutlery falling on crockery was deafening: "I thought that…"

"Would you please be my date?"

Hermione felt all the world's eyes on her as she was propositioned by the sexy Slytherin; what else could she do? Heaving a weighty sigh, she glanced down at the snake on the ground, her jaw ached with the smile she was forced to produce.

"Yes, I, Hermione Granger, do take you, Blaise Zabini to be my lawful date to the Slug Club Christmas Party."

Blaise grinned as he stood up on his feet cupping her jaw tenderly, tilting her face up so their eyes could meet: "Perhaps, if this goes well," he purred in such a low tone only she could hear, "you and I would hopefully be saying _I Do_ at another, more _momentous_ occasion."

Her knees shook at this statement: "It's just a date, Zabini, nothing real is going to come from this," she whispered back.

The hall had slowly come back to life, but the buzz of conversation was surely negative and vicious as far as she was concerned. _Oh joy_ , she sighed. It'll be Fourth Year all over again. When she'd sidled between Luna and Neville the Ravenclaw tilted her head and glanced at her.

"Good, we need more Slytherins to help us when the time comes," she said absolutely making Hermione do a double-take and furious blinking, "it does not hurt when they are physically beautiful neither I suppose," Luna continued with a shrug of her shoulders. "I see you with someone older though, someone more like…" Luna did not get to finish her observation as Ginny had stood up after giving Dean a sturdy kiss on the lips. "Oh well, lessons now. Care of Magical Creatures – I would have thought Hagrid would have taken the Nargle plight seriously stil…"

With that Hermione had to eat some toast quickly which caused her to hiccup – it took four times to hold in her breath whilst counting up to and beyond, twenty, in German before they'd gone.

Every time Blaise passed her in the halls he'd wink, adjust his robes and quickly bow. Causing her to blush and other girls to giggle. Hermione had to admit he came through.

* * *

In the quiet, haunting gloom of the Slytherin common room, Blaise Zabini sat on the chair that used to belong to Draco before he started becoming slippery and secretive. He rested his head on his intertwined hands, his elbows fanned out. His beautiful lips set in a smirk as he gazed into the blue tinged flames dancing in the hearth.

"What was that about, Zabini?" demanded his friend Theo.

"What are you simpering about?"

"You know damn well," Theo growled.

"Oh, you mean my asking Hermione to the Christmas Soiree?"

"Yes, that?"

"Gotta have a plan B, my friend, and she's it."

"What are you…"

"It's simple," Blaise sighed, rolling his eyes as he lowered his hands and leaned forward, Theo doing the same, so they could conduct their conversation as secretly as they could, in the busy centre of the Slytherin dorms. "We do not know which side is going to win, do we?"

"Well no," Theo frowned, "but…"

"Use your intelligence Nott," Blaise sighed impatiently, lightly grinding his teeth together! "If our side wins I can claim Hermione as my 'loot' – if their side wins, I won't be tried for being a Death Eater _plus_ I get laid AND Hermione will be none the wiser – she's not shabby in looks any more, she's intelligent, and more importantly, she's Potter's ear."

Theo frowned slightly whilst processing this information inside his head: "But if she makes you choose a side and the battle is even…what will you do then? Granger won't like you treating the battleground as a sport and you are the spectator betting on the odds."

"That, my dear friend, can only be answered when the time comes."

* * *

 **1ST MAY 1998**

Hermione was battling three Death Eaters with no one protecting her back. Blaise was one of those who chose to come back with Horace Slughorn – his mind going through the motions as he sent hexes – he did not care who had received them. His heart was pumping in his throat as he spotted Hermione struggling…his Hermione! They'd dated through the last half of their sixth year and he still yearned for her. She was magnificent in fight, he observed, powerful in her parrying spell after spell. Elegance personified as she leapt and kicked a Death Eater in the sternum, her eyes reflecting the fire in the background. His heart seemed to engorge with pride at the sight of his little kitten displaying her claws.

He looked around wondering where her friends were to protect her from an attack from behind. No longer could he take the stress of watching her fight without someone to shield her.

Without blinking he ran towards his lady, lithely able to physically dodge any curse or hex that passed him by – so focussed on getting to Hermione that the rest of the surroundings mattered little. She was almost winning until someone did steal in to hex her back to strike her down.

Blood roared in his ears; "EXPELLIARMUS!" he yelled to the attacker the wand flew through the air. Hermione gazed towards her saviour.

"Blaise!" she cried. "LOOK OUT!"

Before he had a chance Hermione, his kitten, glared hatefully at something just off from his right shoulder. Her face twisted in a hate-filled snarl: "AVADA KEDAVRA!" she screamed. "HERMIONE NO!" Blaise yelled at the same time, but it was too late.

When he turned around he saw a hulking dark Death Eater lying cold, stone, dead. It was Dolohov!

"You killed him for me?" Blaise gasped as the other two were easily dispatched.

Laboured breathing was all she was capable off as she felt her soul rent in two! "Of course, Blaise," she puffed, casually tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"Why?"

"Because," she panted. "Because, I love you!"

Blaise sighed, closed his eyes, and whispered something to the ground before raising his head up high again – cinnamon met sapphire as they stared at each other – hearts pounding in their chests. Suddenly she rushed over the piles of stones that once upheld their ruined school.

They sniffed each other in as they passionately embraced amongst the fallen stones. Dust clouds and smoke intermingled as did the young pair entwined in the baby cyclone of ash and embers.

Unlike the dwindling fog sinuously reaching up to the skies, their love was made strong and solid as they helped rebuild, not only their hearts, but their world!


End file.
